Summer!!!

     Oh Goodness it's been awhile!!!  I've been in summer mode!  Well to begin with, the second week of summer I came down with strep throat of all things.  UGH!!  I don't think I've ever had strep throat before.  Well to say the least I was not a happy camper and was pretty sick.  Of course I'm better now and glad to be done with it.  I've got summer things to do, no time to be sick!  We went camping!!  Nothing my kids like more to do every summer then camping :)  We never stay long enough, nor do we ever make enough smores.  Lots of fun and hiking.  There was even still a tiny bits of snow around the campsite.  We've been filling our days with sleeping in, working in the garden and I've been trying to squeeze some time at the gym.

Not so easy to do during the summer.  Most people gain weight during the winter holidays.....not me.  For me its summer.  Our schedules go out the window, and my self discipline gets lost some where.  I seem to find it right when school gets started again.  Something that was really fun this year was harvesting our little crop of red potatoes and Idaho potatoes!  It is truly like an Easter egg hunt, but in the dirt!



Miss Princess Coop was there to eat any worms that might be in our way!



      Our garden is pretty happy this year!  Here is our bed of squash, watermelon, sunflowers and some Zinnias.

 Bee Balm!!  Such a pretty flower!  My girlfriend gave me some of her plant, it's a perennial.  It's quit happy and spreading out.

 Oh my the pumpkins are taking over!  I dream of owning lots of acres and growing lots and lots of pumpkins.

They just make me so happy.  And then to fill my house with pumpkins in the fall, it's the best.

 My daughter and I have been having lots of fun with succulents this year.  My chicks grew out of this feeder and so we planted it with all kinds of succulents.  Super cute!

 Well we have a new hen Sunshine!  She's in the front.  She is a Buff Orpington.

In the foreground is Blossom.  Don't you love those fluffy cheeks of hers!  A common trait for her breed.

 This was our other chick Cornflake.  Well Cornflake grew into a very handsome rooster! He is so pretty!  We can't have roosters in our little suburban neighborhood.  But we found Cornflake a home in the country, were he will tend to 15 hens.  A big job but I know he'll be a great rooster to those hens.

Here is a picture of Bear River Reservoir, our first camping trip of the summer.

 Some fishing and hiking!

 Lastly, my stitching has been far and between this summer.  I've been doing a little here and there.  Most of my time has been spent in the garden, especially in the evenings.  But I did draw and stitch this sewing machine!  I very happy with it.

 Also I've been playing around with watercolors.  I first drew this owl as a template to stitch.  But then I painted him.  I still plan to stitch him :)

I hope to start blogging more frequently!!  Have a great week!!!